Drive half a block in the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E550, and you’ll experience a car that’s comfortable in its own skin. No equivocating is necessary. This isn’t a product that’s stretching a brand upmarket or down-market; rather, the E-class is the hot nickel core of Mercedes. Neither as starchy as the S-class nor as sassy as a CLA, the E-class oozes Benz-ish qualities such as unquestioned solidity, a hushed and well-appointed cabin, civil ride motions, and ample propulsion.

Actually, make that more-than-ample propulsion when it comes to the well-endowed E550. It’s the only non-AMG E-class available with a V-8, which, since the 2012 model year, has been a lubricious 4.7-liter twin-turbo V-8 making 402 horsepower. Whereas the E63’s randy 550-hp (577 hp in S trim), 5.5-liter turbo eight-holer rumbles up and down the rev range and spits filthy noises like a sailor on leave, the E550’s blown 4.7-liter sounds like a Chris-Craft, a dulcet baritone on demand. You hardly notice the turbos. They spool up without delay and propel the big Benz on a considerable wave of torque. The car gathers speed easily, imperceptibly. It’s a vehicle that’s powerful but doesn’t flaunt it—just like its drivers. However, the E550’s 4.5-second 0-to-60 performance recorded in our testing is certainly quick enough to dispense with most other cars on the road. And the power is sufficient to push the Benz well into triple digits from rest in the quarter-mile.

All Rise for the Steering Committee

Luckily, the E550 comes standard with Mercedes’ Distronic Plus active cruise control, so drivers can keep their Benz from creeping inadvertently over the century mark. Distronic Plus is one gadget among a suite of standard and optional electronic driving aids and safety systems available on everything from the 2014 S-class to, soon, the all-new 2015 C-class. The Distronic Plus system deftly works the car’s throttle and brakes to maintain a selected following distance, and the setup in our test car included a steering-assist feature that we recommend turning off.

In theory, the steering assist works to keep the car centered in its lane (even when there are no lane markers present, at least at lower speeds) using stereo cameras and algorithms to “see” the road ahead. Although the system does permit semiautonomous driving to follow traffic flow up to a claimed speed of 37 mph, it messes with the electric steering feel just enough to cause unpredictable responses to driver inputs. Sometimes small inputs are met with large corrections; other times, the opposite occurs. That’s frustrating when the best line for vehicle control might not be the middle-of-the-lane line the computer wants you to take. (For the lazy, it’s worth noting that steering assist won’t completely take over should you forget to turn the wheel into a bend at highway speeds.) Beyond that hiccup, though, Distronic Plus is a great driving aid and ankle- and leg-cramp reducer on long slogs.

Stopping distances were nothing to quibble about. Equipped with no-cost-optional Pirelli P Zero summer tires, our E550’s 157-foot 70-to-0 stab was identical to the stopping performance of a 2012 E63 AMG sedan we tested—also on sticky summer tires. That’s way better than the 180-foot stop from 70 we recorded with a 2012 E550 shod with P Zero Nero all-season rubber. Although the P Zeros made more “sizzle” noise on the highway than some luxury-car buyers might prefer, impact harshness and ride quality were not adversely affected.

All E550s are configured as Sport models, identifiable by the wide-mouth, two-bar grille with the big three-pointed star. The ride height is reduced versus that of other Es by 0.6 inch, which probably does as much for looks as it does for handling. Our test car had stroke-dependent shocks, which perform a Mercedes-appropriate damping bleed-off over minor road undulations but firm up for bigger impacts involving more wheel travel. Mercedes fits 4MATIC all-wheel drive to all E550s, a confidence builder for snow-country drivers as long as they remember to replace the summer tires with all-seasons—or, even better, winter rubber—when the white stuff flies.

It’s Packing (Options)

Our Cardinal Red ($1080) E550 test car was well optioned, to say the least. Among the items were split-folding rear seats ($440); a panoramic sunroof ($1090); an active massaging driver’s seat ($660); a heated steering wheel ($250); a deck spoiler ($350); and the Keyless Go package ($990). The car also had the Parking Assist package with a surround-view camera ($1290); the Lighting package with adaptive high-beam control, active curve and cornering illumination, and LED headlamps ($1500); the Premium 1 package consisting of COMAND with voice control and navigation, Harman/Kardon premium audio, satellite radio, a power rear-window shade, and heated and ventilated front seats ($4320). Finally, there was the Driver Assistance package ($2800) with active blind-spot assist, active lane-keeping assist, cross-traffic assist, Pre-Safe braking with pedestrian recognition, and Distronic Plus active cruise control with steering assist.

Model year 2014 is the last in which Mercedes will offer this car in America, as the E550 will be replaced for 2015 by a new E400 powered by a 329-hp, 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6. So if you’re a fan of V-8–powered E-class sedans, you should act now. If you’re late, your E options will be down to one: the equally confident—but much bolder—E63 AMG.

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